Combined hanger and stretcher for trousers and slacks



y 1966 H. s. MCDONALD ET AL ,2 ,6 7

COMBINED HANGER AND STRETCHER FOR TROUSERS AND SLACKS Filed March 9, 1965 INVENTORS Harry S. McDonald Fred A. Malik Joseph M. Molik 8 Wilburn N. Smit ATTORNEYS FIG United States Patent 3,262,617 COMBINED HANGER AND STRETCHER FOR TROUSERS AND SLACKS Harry S. McDonald, 229 Seminole Drive; Fred A. Malik, 218 Seminole Drive; Joseph M. Malik, 818 S. Big A Road; and Wilbnrn N. Smith, Box 509, all of Toccoa, Ga.

Filed Mar. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 438,227 3 Claims. (Cl. 223-95) The present invention relates to garment supports and stretchers and more particularly to a combined hanger and stretcher for trousers or slacks.

The clothing industry has developed processes for chemically treating the material of trousers or slacks so that the finished product will be substantially wrinkleproof and have substantially permanent shape and crease retaining properties. During such a treating process for a pair of slacks, it is the practice to provide hangers to maintain the slacks suspended and suitably stretched, while the slacks on hangers are moved through the various stages of the treating process.

An object of this invention is to provide a dual purpose hanger suitable for the conveyor devices used during the slack or trouser treating process and for use to store the treated goods after the hanger is removed from the conveyor.

Another object is to provide a novel trouser hanger and stretcher, whereby the formation of the same is such as to compensate for size variations of the engaged garment portions during hanging and stretching of the garment with provisions to prevent excessive stretching.

Another object is to provide a novel trouser hanger and stretcher, whereby each trouser leg is held apart as it is being conveyed during the treating process to obtain better and faster curing and/ or drying of the treated trousers.

The above and other objects of the invention are accomplished by the novel combination, arrangement and assembly of parts as hereinafter illustrated and described in the accompanying drawing and related description thereof.

In the drawing wherein like parts have numerals corresponding to the several parts as described in the 'following description:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present invention as it appears when used to support a pair of trousers, showing the cuff portion of each leg distended to a suitably stretched position;

FIGURE 2 isa side view in elevation of the present invention as it appears in relaxed extended position before being applied within the respective cufif portions of a pair of trousers;

FIGURE 3 is a side view in elevation of the device shown in FIGURE 2 with the elements thereof in unrelaxed contracted position to permit insertion of the hanger-stretcher elements thereof into the respective cuff portions of each leg of a pair of trousers;

FIGURE 4 is a cross section view taken on section line 4-4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross section view taken on section line 55 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings and first with particular reference to FIGURE 1, the present invention comprises an elongated upright rod rectangular or square in cross section, an elongated cross rod 11 transverse the upright rod 10, which is likewise rectangular or square in cross section and formed with an arcuate mid-center section 12. The section 12, see FIGURE 4, is suitably secured to a guide sleeve 13 in the center of the convex portion of the arcuate section 12, as by a weld 14. This sleeve 13 is formed with a rectangular bore to slidably mate with 3,262,617 Patented ul 'za'lsee the exterior of the upright rod 10, which extends through the same with its end 15 at a position below the cross rod 11 and beyond the end of the sleeve.

The end 15 of the rod 10 on each opposite side are pivotally connected with the ends 16 and 17 or elongated link means, such as bars 18 and 19, respectively by pivot means, such as a pin or rivet 20. Each respective opposite end 21 and 22 of each respective link means or bar 18 and 19 are apertured to freely pivot on a pin or rivet 23 for the end 21 of bar 18 and on a similar pin or rivet 24 for the end 22 of bar 19, which respective pins or rivets hold spacer means 25 and 26 and 27 and 28' together at each end within the embrace of inverted U- shaped trouser leg holders, such as yoke members 30 and 31. These yoke members I are respectively slidably mounted on the cross .bar 11, see FIGURES 1 and 5, by centrally bar embracing portions 32 and 33 formed from the respective yoke members and which cooperate with their respective spacer members 25 and 26 and 27 and 28 to provide a closed guide housing for sliding on the cross bar 11 upon movement of the upright bar 10 in the guide sleeve 13.

The bar 10 has coiled around the shank thereof a compression spring 34, which is compressible between the cross bar 11 and a handle portion 35. This compression spring normally biases the bar 10 upward in the guide sleeve 13, so as to spread apart the yoke members 30 and 31, see FIGURE 2, toward the opposite outer extremities of the cross bar 11 through the respective connecting links 18 and 19. However, as shown in FIGURE 3, when the 'handle 35 is pushed to move the upright bar 10 downward in the guide sleeve 13 the spring 34 is compressed and resists the movement, but equally draws the yoke members 30 and 31 through their respective connecting links 18 and 19 inward from the opposite ends of the cross bar 11. When in this position the depending legs 36 and 37 and 38 and 39 of each spaced yoke member 30 and 31 are suitably spaced for insertion into the culfed leg ends of a pair of trousers T, see FIGURE 1.

Release of the handle permits the spring 34 to expand from its compressed state to an extent sufiicient to stretch the trouser legs at the cuff ends and maintain a stretching action thereon.

Each of the legs 36 and 37 and 38 and 39 of each of the yoke members are formed with outwardly directed serrated edges 40 to more securely hold the material of trousers in the hanger and each leg is formed adjacent each end of the bridge 41 and 42 of each respective yoke with a stop means 43 extended at right angles to the respective serrated edges of the yoke legs, see FIGURE 1.

These stops 43 keep the cutf or garment hem of the trousers T from rolling up or out and prevents rejects because of such objectional conditions.

It may in some instances be desirable to form the handle 35 in the form of a C-shaped or a G- shaped handle. This is particularly so when using the hanger for clothes storage.'

Also, the upright rod or bar 10 may have the handle 35 turned at substantially a ninety degree angle with respect to the position of the same shown in the drawings. In such an instance the entire rod may be changed to provide for this arrangement.

Thus there is provided a novel trouser or slack hanger and stretcher wherein the trouser or slack engaging parts of the device are normally spring biased outward into hanging and stretching positions and whereby the engaging parts are readily engageable and releasable from the slacks by one downward manual movement of the hanger and stretcher handle.

Also, these novel devices may be made of special resistant materials or coated so that the chemicals used during the processing of the trousers or slacks in the processing chamber will not cause any corrosive action or the like on the hangers and so they may be used repeatedly in the processing, if desired, or vfor storage purposes.

Without further description it is believed that the advantages of the present invention over the prior art is apparent and while only one embodiment of the same is illustrated, it is to be expressly understood that the same is not limited thereto as various changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of the parts illust-rated, as will now likely appear to others and those skilled in the art. For a definition of the scope or limits of the invention, reference should be had to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined trouser hanger and stretcher comprising; an upright bar formed with a handle; a cross bar transverse the upright bar having an arcuate inter-mediate portion; a guide sleeve secured to the center of the said arouate portion; said upright bar slidably extending through said guide sleeve and having the end opposite from the handle projecting from the sleeve; yoke members slidably mounted on each end portion of the cross bar, said yoke members being formed with bar embracing guide means, each of said yoke members having spaced depending legs adjacent each side of the cross bar; spacer means secured to each yoke member between each of said spaced yoke legs thereof, link means having one end pivotally connected to said means and the opposite end pivotally connected to said projecting end of said upright bar below said sleeve; and spring means coiled around said upright bar between said handle and said cross bar, said spring being compressible by the movement of said upright bar in the sleeve, said spring normal- -1y causing spreading movement in opposite directions to said respective yoke members.

2. A combined trouser hanger and stretcher comprising an upright bar formed with a handle; a cross bar transverse the upright bar having an arcuate intermediate portion; a guide sleeve secured to the center of the said arcuate portion; said upright bar slidably extending through said guide sleeve and having the end opposite from the handle projecting from the sleeve; yoke members slidably mounted on each end portion of the cross bar, said yoke members being formed with bar embracing guide means, each of said yoke members having spaced depending legs .adjacent each side of the cross bar; spacer means secured to each yoke member between each of said spaced yoke legs thereof, link means having one end pivotally connected to said means and the opposite end pivotally connected to said projecting end of said upright bar below said sleeve; and spring means coiled around said upright bar between said handle and said cross bar, said spring being compressible by the movement of said upright bar in the sleeve, said spring normally causing spreading movement in opposite directions to said respective yoke members, said spaced yoke legs each having serrated outward facing edges and stop means adjacent said respective serrated edges at the upper portion of said legs.

3. The combined trouser hanger and stretcher described in claim 1, wherein said upright bar is substantially square in cross section, and the bore of said guide sleeve is similarly formed to mate with the exterior surtEace of said bar to prevent turning during the movement of said bar in the sleeve.

References Cited by the Examiner JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COMBINED TROUSER HANGER AND STRETCHER COMPRISING; AND UPRIGHT BAR FORMED WITH A HANDLE; A CROSS BAR TRANSVERSE THE UPRIGHT BAR HAVING AN ARCUATED INTERMEDIATE PORTION; A GUIDE SLEEVE SECURED TO THE CENTER OF THE SAID ARCUATE PORTION; SAID UPRIGHT BAR SLIDABLY EXTENDING THROUGH SAID GUIDE SLEEVE AND HAVING THE END OPPOSITE FROM THE HANGLE PROJECTING FROM THE SLEEVE; YOKE MEMBERS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON EACH END PORTION OF THE CROSS BAR, SAID YOKE MEMBERS BEING FORMED WITH BAR EMBRACING GUIDE MEANS, EACH OF SAID YOKE MEMBERS HAVING SPACED DEPENDING LEGS ADJACENT EACH SIDE OF THE CROSS BAR; SPACER MEANS SECURED TO EACH YOKE MEMBER BETWEEN EACH OF SAID SPACED YOKE LEGS THEREOF, LINK MEANS HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID MEANS AND THE OPPOSITE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID PROJECTING END OF SAID UPRIGHT BAR BELOW SAID SLEEVE; AND SPRING MEANS COILED AROUND SAID UPRIGHT BAR BETWEEN SAID HANDLE AND SAID CROSS BAR, SAID SPRING BEING COMPRESSIBLE BY THE MOVEMENT OF SAID UPRIGHT BAR IN THE SLEEVE, SAID SPRING NORMALLY CAUSING SPREADING MOVEMENT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTINS TO SAID RESPECTIVE YOKE MEMBERS. 